Adjustable hanger for sostenuto devices in pianos



June 24 1924.

Filed April 2 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l G. MARCO June 24 1.924.

1 She eta-Sheet 2 Filed April 2 1921 Patented June 24, 1924.

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Application filed a -i112, 1921. s rialmo. 457,854.

"To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that "I, GAETANO Marco, a citizen ofthe'United States, and a resident of-the city of -'Dorchester, county of 'Saffolk, and State of "Massachusetts, have-invented an "Improvement in Adjustable Hangers for Sostenuto Devices in Pianos, of which the following 'is a; specification.

The present invention relates to -piano construction, especially to the "construction of the action' thereof, and has for an object .to provide an improved adj ustable hanger adapted 'to support thesostenu to rod "or other similar. operative part.

The "invention will be ,best understood =t'rom a-"descr-iption of' a particularillustrative arrangementembodying the invention, referencef being had to the? accompanying drawings forming part hereof and in which:

Figure l is aseotional view of a grand pianoshowing a sostenuto hanger construct ed in accordance with the'present' invention and "illustrating its arrangement with respect'togthe other-parts of: the piano;

' Fig.2 is a' detailed perspective-view showing the sostenuto rod and riser with the operative connection therebetween F is a "detailed viewillustrating'the relative arrangement of the sostenuto rod and damper operating parts'whichare arranged to be held in elevated position by the sostenuto rod upon I actuation v thereof;

'Fig. 4 is a transverse 'eleyation showing a sostenuto rod supporting.hanger xandre- 'lated parts;

Fig. 5 is a plan viewjillustrating a preferred arrangement ot jthe hai gersxsulaport ing thesostenutorod; and

6 is a detail view ofthe hanger} indicating, more clearly the position of, the point of contact betweenfthe jpartsjthereof with respect to the positionsoftheadjusting screwsf Referring ,to the drawingsf Ig'have'fshown, tor .the purposes of illustratingjthefinvenv tion, a typical. .grand piano-mechanism ineluding hammers .5.and dampers b of com mon type engaging the strings? and operated as usual by. the keys- 8. A sostenuto rod 9 is arranged whenoperated to hold elevatednsele cted damper supportsto maintain the dampers in retracted position.

- l hisrod .is rotatably mounted -ina series of 0 similar hangers lO, to which hangers the :ports, Each cdam-per support comprises a damper wireloi-guided in-the damper guide 116, and a 2 litter .inember 17 pivotally. c011- nected touzurdlguide'd' by a damper lever 18 havingione cinch-projecting, into.- the'; path of the-key 8 03136 operated.- thereby simultaneonsly with the operation of I the corresponding hammer 5. :"llhisarrangement, provides that, asa-w1re 7 V. is; struck by its hammer, its damper Wlll simultaneouslybe ralsed and heldraised while the ekeyizis held depressed. Inoperation, if it :is desired to sustain the -.no te .o12;notes struck,- the sostenuto pedal is depressed-while;thekey or keys are still -held depressed, L thus elevating th riser 12 and rotating the sostenu-to rod 9 togengage {the elevated ldamperu supports and hold. the dampers =i n retracted, inoperative position.

If the sostenuto j rod is correctly positioned relative to i the cooperating parts, ,the felts of those :damper supportszwhich l are not elevated-will not be engaged byzthe lip during the rocking m0vement,.-.as will'be obvious from inspection ofiiFig. 3. :Furthermore,

3 while the so'ste11n to-1-ocl.is. held in, operated position-- to sustain onexselected set of:dam.pe rs, the felt ofa subsequently. raiseddamper supportwill engage only the underside of the lip and will bend-sufficiently to permit the usualoperation-of the damper withoutbeing-so engaged asto prevent. retraction when the corresponding key is'released. To

obtain reliably-and effectively-thedescribed 1 operation, the-sostenuto ro'd must be accurately positioned and -prov1s1on should preferably be made for 1noving the rod closer to the damper supports when the. felts become Worn and more flexible. .In the illustrated arrangement this is accomplished by providing anumber of suitably spaced two-part hangers -10 attached, preferably adjustably, to a convenient support such as the topbelly bar 20.

'As shown,each hanger comprises a base member 21, a rod-supporting member 22 connected thereto, and means for holding it in adjusted position. The basememb'er is 7 shown as slotted at 35, Fig. 4;, to pe'rmit adjustable attachment to its support. As shown, the rod-supporting member is in effect a bell-crank lever bearing against'the abase member at 23; Screws 24, 25 acting in opposition to each other maintain the rodsupporting member in firm contact with the base memberandhold it in adjusted position. In the arrangement shown the type relative to the lever fulcrum are such that both screws are in tension but it isto be understood that this particular arrangement is merely illustrative. The screws extend loosely through slightly elongatedholes in the" rod supporting member and screw into tapped holes in the base member; A jaw member26 secured by a screw 27 cooperates 1 with a correspondingly formed jaw 28 of the rod-supporting member 22 to provide a suitable bearing forthe sostenuto rod 9.

As shown, the pivot point of the bellcrank member is relatively close to one screw 'tenuto rod of a hangerjtnerefor comprising a sup-portmg plate ad ustably attached to 90 and the adjustment is made mainly by adjustment of the other screw. In fact,-the rod-supporting member 22 may be treated as pivoted tothe base member. The lower end 30 of the base member 21 may conveniently be bent outwardly, as shown, to bring the 30 samevcloser to the positionof the supported rod to permit the use of a short screw between the rod-supporting member and base member.

The described arrangement provides a simple and conveniently adjusted support for a sostenuto rod and one which maybe easily positioned and easily adjusted as occasion requires and the hangers-are of the form which can be economically manufactured. The slot in thelbase member provides for vertical adjustment of the supported rod and the relative adjustability of the hanger" members provides for horizontal adjustment toward and from the damper supports. I v x Y L It is one of the features of the illustrated construction that the adjusting screws can be reached from the front. For example, if it is desired to move the sostenuto rod closer to the damper supports this can be done by tightening the screws 25-by means of a long screw-driver from the front while the action is in place in the piano.' 7

If desired, all dampers may be elevated simultaneously by means of a lever board 32 operated by a suitable control. It is to be noted that there is no interference between the sostenuto arrangement and the lever board arrangement. -Whatever the position freely operateito hold all dampers in elevated position. j It is to be understood that the construction shown is merely illustrative as the ini vention may be embodied in various" forms means for moving selected supports to of lever and the positioningof the screws hangensupport ng said sostenuto rodcomof the sostenuto rod the lever board may ed supports What I claim is:

1. In a grand piano, the combination with a set of dampers," supports therefor and carry corresponding dampers to an inoperative position, and a sostenuto rod movable to engage the selected damper supports'to hold the dampers in inoperativeposition, of a the piano and a bell-crank lever contacting with the plate and provided with adjusting means located upon opposite sides ofsaid point of contact.

4. In a piano the combination with a sostenuto rod ofa two-part hanger compris: ing a base member adjustably attachable to a 'support, a rod-supporting member constitutinga lever fulcrumed against the base meme her and oppositely acting adjustablemeans for'holding the rod-supporting member in fixed relation to the base member.

Y. 5. Ina piano the combination with a sostenuto 'rod of a two-part hanger comprising a base member attachable to a support and a.rodsupporting member carrying the sos-. tenuto rod to permit operative movement thereof, said rod supporting member constituting an arm pivotedupon the base memher, and adjustable means for holding said rod-supporting member in Xedrelation to the base member, whereby the sostenuto rod is afi'orded an adjustable support. 7

6. In a piano the combination with a plu-v rality of damper supports of a sostenuto rod and an adjustable two-part hanger therefor comprising a base member slotted to permit adjustable attachment to a support, a rod-supporting member consisting of a lever bearing against the base member and two screws acting in opposition toeach othor serving to hold the rod-supporting memher in adjustable engagement with the base member.

7. In a grand piano the combination with a set ofdampers, vertically movable sup ports therefor, means for elevating selecttoraise corresponding dampers to retracted position and a sostenuto 'rod movable to engage the elevated supports to hold the corresponding dampers in retracted position, of a plurality of hangers supporting said sostenuto rod, each hanger comprising av base member slotted longitudinally to provide vertical adjustment and a rodsupporting member adjustable pivotally relative to the base member and toward and from the damper supports to provide horizontal adjustment for the sostenuto rod and means for holding the rod-supporting member in adjusted position relative to the base member.

8. In a piano having an action with a sostenuto rod, a two-part adjustable hanger, one part attachable to a support within the piano, the other part adjustably connected to the first part and having a hearing for the sostenuto rod, and screw means accessible from the front of the piano to adjust and hold in adjusted position the adjustable part.

9. In a piano having an action with a sostenuto rod, a two-part hanger, one part being adjustably attachable to a vertical support within the piano, the other part being pivotally connected thereto and having a bearing at one end for the sostenuto rod and screw means accessible from the front of the piano adapted to adjust the second part to adjust horizontally the position of said bearing.

10. In a piano having an action and behind the same a sostenuto rod cooperating with a series of damper lifters, a plurality of hangers arranged 'to support the sostenuto rod, each hanger comprising a bearing member supporting said sostenuto rod and adjusting devices arranged to adjust said bearing and thereby the sostenuto rod toward and from the damper lifters, said devices presenting tool engaging portions exposed for engagement by a tool extending rearwardly between the parts of the action, whereby the position of the sostenuto rod can be adjusted while the action is in place.

11. In a piano having an action and behind the same a sostenuto rod cooperating with a series of damper lifters, a plurality of two-part hangers arranged to support the sostenuto rod, one part of each hanger be ing secured to the piano frame, the other part supporting the sostenuto rod and being adjustable horizontally to move the sostenuto rod toward and from the damper lifters, adjusting devices connecting said hanger parts and presenting tool engaging parts exposed for engagement by a tool extending rearwardly through the. piano action, whereby the position of the sostenuto rod can be adjusted while the piano action is in place.

12. In a piano having an action and behind the samea. sostenuto rod cooperating with a series of damper lifters, a plurality of hangers arranged to support the sostenuto rod, each hanger comprising a supporting plate adjustably attached to the piano frame, a bell crank lever contacting with the plate, and adjusting screws located on opposite sides of the point of contact and presenting tool engaging portions exposed for engagement by a tool extending rearwardly between the parts of the action, whereby the position of the sostenuto rod can be adjusted while the piano action is in place.

13. In a piano having an action and behind the same a sostenuto rod cooperating with a series of damper lifters, a plurality of hangers arranged to support the sostenuto rod, each hanger comprising a bearing for the sostenuto rod and adjusting devices for adjusting said sostenuto rod toward and from the damper lifters, said devices having tool engaging portions exposed for engagement from the front of the piano by a tool extending rearwardly through the action, whereby the position of the sostenuto rod can .be adjusted from the front of the piano while the action is in place.

14. In a piano having an action and behind the same a sostenuto rod cooperating with a series of damper lifters, a plurality of two-part hangers arranged to support the sostenuto rod, each hanger comprising a part adjustably secured to the piano frame, part having a bearing for the sostenuto rod and adjustable means for securing the second part to the first part, said means presenting tool engaging adjusting parts exposed for engagement by a tool extending backward through the action whereb the position of the sostenuto rod may be a justed while the action is in place.

15. In a piano having a sostenuto rod, a two-part hanger for supporting said sostenuto rod, one part constituting the base member and the other part constituting a bearing member afiording support for the sostenuto rod having a pivotal engagement against the base member, a screw close to the point of pivotal engagement on one side thereof holding the two parts together and a screw at a distance from the said point of pivotal engagement on the opposite side thereof, also holding the two parts together, the two screws constituting means for adjusting the relation of the bearing member to the base member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed 111 name to this specification this th day of March, 1921.

GAETANO MARCO. 

